Scores of women and their friends and family members descended Saturday on uptown Charlotte to mark one year since the Women's March on Washington. At least 5,000 people are estimated to have attended the event, said CMPD Sgt. Scott Sherwood, who helped coordinate CMPD's response during the demonstration.
While the demonstration didn't match the size of last year's crowd of 10,000-plus, it did feel different, said Carol Simonetti of Charlotte.
"Last year, at this rally, I think people were just angry and upset and wondering what's happening," she said. "This time, there's really a feeling of - we can really make a difference if we work together. There's a feeling of positiveness this year, where it was more negative last year."
This year's event was also better organized, with a professional sound system and a list of roughly 20 speakers, among them Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, who rallied the crowd at First Ward Park ahead of the march at 12 p.m. to Romare Bearden Park.
Representatives from Planned Parenthood, The League of Women Voters, and other advocacy groups worked to get people signed up for mailing lists and registered to vote.
The Charlotte march, branded as "Remarchable Women," joined similar marches and rallies in several cities around the Carolinas, including in Raleigh, Asheville, Winston-Salem, Wilmington, and in Charleston, as well as cities nationwide.
Sue Keene of Charlotte said this year's event proved that last year's march wasn't a singular event without any lasting power.
"It's just a moment to show that we're still here, and our politics haven't changed," said Keene, "We still don't support the president or his policies. The world needs to wake up and realize that one day women will take over the vote, and rule the world!"
